Battle Bards

Returning to the fertile soundtrack of Caravan Stories, Syl and Syp are rejoined by Steff to give us a fresh take! It's another journey through a charming and laid-back MMO landscapes.

Episode 231 show notes 

• Intro (feat. "Entrust a Will," "Toasting Dance," and "Open the Map")
• "Foothills of Carvendel"
• "Enigma Rips the Sky"
• "Folka Village"
• "Baldu Pipe Town"
• "Slapstick Castanet"
• "Glenmore Fault Valley"
• Which one did we like best...

Ready to get your cozy on? Syp and Syl take you into the relatively new life sim Palia to explore its down-home-on-the-player-farm tunes. Is this a little TOO laid-back and boring, or is there a rural charm to this soundtrack? We’ll be the judge of that.

Episode 230 show notes

• Intro (feat. “Home Sweet Home,” “Palia’s Kilima Village Daytime Theme,” and “The Creation”)
• “Daiya Farm Badruu’s Melody”
• “Main Theme”
• “Chapaa Chase”
• “Ei...

Come along for a trundling trip through the countryside with Caravan Stories, a 2017-era MMO that charmed Syl so much that she demanded they do a two-part show on its soundtrack! Bring your sympathy for Syp, who has to put up with this nonsense!

Episode 229 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Dubious Person," "In Trials," and "Rallying Man")
• "Caravan Trip"
• "Eastern Part of Denon Hill"
• "Free City of Nero"
• "Arlosa Mine"
• "Polka"
• "Mad Cow Br...

Not every dungeon has to be a drab and dour affair -- a fact which sent the Battle Bards searching for the cheeriest tunes from MMO instances! Join Syp and Syl as they recount a good half-dozen upbeat tracks from online RPG dungeons. If you've got to loot... loot with a smile.

Episode 228 show notes

• Intro (feat. “Commence to Jiggin'” from WildStar, “Brawler's Trial” from World of Warcraft, and “Daring Dalliances” from FFXIV)

• ...

Syp and Syp return to the vast library of NCsoft's MMO soundtracks, with games like Aion, Lineage, and Blade & Soul to keep our ears happy for decades now. With so much new music coming out of this studio on a regular basis, there's always something fresh to experience!

Episode 227 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Glimmer of Hope" from Aion, "A Tropical Getaway" from WildStar, and "Coastline" from Guild Wars)

• "Corridor of Awakening" ...

It’s always highly bittersweet when MMO fans sit back and consider the games that never were — the projects that got far along in development but, for various reasons, didn’t cross the finish line. But some left behind a melodic footprint that’s very much worth examining, which is what our intrepid Battle Bards do today!

Episode 226 show notes

• Intro (feat. “Overture” from Stargate Worlds, “Sentience” from The Repopulation, and...

One of the newer MMOs on the market, Embers Adrift leaned hard into tougher PvE gameplay and the darkest of dark nights. But how does its music support this fantasy game world? Syl and Syp investigate the "living soundtrack" of this hardcore title.

Episode 225 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Adventures Adrift," "Gardens and Ruins," and "Into the Trees")
• "Meadowlands Melody"

• "Newhaven"

• "Newhaven City Theme"

• "Hunted in the Dark"

• ...

It's been an almost egregiously long time since the Battle Bards turned their attention to the EverQuest II soundtrack -- but now that wait is over. Join Syp and Syl as they comb through the expansions for all sorts of delightful musical morsels to enjoy!

Episode 224 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Landing Zone," and "Darkpaw")

• "Artisan Theme"

• "Qeynos Rises"

• "Stonewood"

• "Dreadcutter"

• "Visions of Vetrovia"

• "En...

The steely gaze and pointy ears of the Battle Bards turns to 2009's Dragonica -- also known as Dragon Saga -- to see what musical treasures might be stashed in this beast's lair. Syl and Syp descend into this all-too-cute realm to find tracks of whimsy and madness awaiting. Listener beware!

Episode 223 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Sky City," "Ferell," and "Haruka's Sushi Restaurant")

• "Title Screen"

• "Swamp Area"

• "Traitor's Rid...

Will our fascination with giant, skyfaring, flame-belching lizards subside? World of Warcraft bets not, as it's currently soaring through its Dragonflight expansion. Will the music also ascend to lofty realms or fall to the earth with a dud? You'll have to listen to the Battle Bards as they figure out the answer to that question!

Episode 222 show notes 

• Intro (feat. "The Dragon's Hoard," "Riverbends," and "The Isles Awaken")
• "...

The power of the One Ring doesn't just rule them all -- it also brings Steff back from retirement! All three Battle Bards are here today to talk about Lord of the Rings Online's enormous Before the Shadow soundtrack. From Hobbits to swans to everything in between, our radio dial is stuck on Middle-earth for now.

Episode 221 show notes

• Intro (feat. "The Silver Bastion," "Valor of Yore," and "Hidden Hearths")

• "Before the Shadow...

Whether or not you like dragons, you have to admit that Guild Wars 2 certainly ended them in style! Join Syl and Syp as they rewind to last winter's End of Dragons and its incredible bounty of soundtrack goodness.

Episode 220 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Daigo Ward" and "Mist Connections")
• "A Future Carved in Jade"
• "A New Era of Heroes"
• "I'm Home"
• "The Petrified Forest"
• "Captain of the Aetherblades"
• "Stroll in the Night Markets"
• W...

If anyone's ever told you to "take a chill pill," then the Battle Bards have your full dosage in today's episode. Exploring peaceful and serene tracks from MMORPGs, Syl and Syp find their inner calm -- before the inevitable slaughter.

Episode 218 show notes

• Intro (feat. "A Farmer's Life" from WildStar, "Dream of Peace" from Lineage II, and "Silverfrost Mountain" from Blade and Soul)

• "Aro to the...

Rock out with your mace out as the Battle Bards crank up the soundtrack to Dungeon Fighter Online. Have we been missing out on the vast bounty of action setpieces? Is there a delightful orchestral soundtrack tucked inside all of this synth noise? Tune in and find out!

Episode 218 show notes 

• Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Tower of Despair," and "Adios Verrickt")
• "The Seatrain"
• "Character Select"

• “White Night”

• “Forgotten Forest...

Chances are you've never heard of today's featured MMO -- or its quirky little soundtrack! So why not come along with Syp and Syl to explore Legend of Edda, a now-defunct RPG set in a realm of Greek Mythology?

Episode 217 show notes

• Intro (feat. “Ballack's Castle” and “Cybele Garden”)

• “Title Theme"

• "Frigid Valley"
• "Gaiyan Town"
• "Wailing Wall"
• "Kobalos Mines"
• "Silver Lake"
• Which one did we like best?
• Jukebox Picks: “Millick M...

While Final Fantasy XIV players won't shut up about A Realm Reborn, it's not often you hear people speaking fondly of the original 1.0 edition. Yet in this episode of Battle Bards, Syp and Syl find something to praise from this era: the Before Meteor soundtrack. Let's rewind the clock and hear the O.G. Eorzea tunes!

Episode 216 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Canticle," "Promise of Plunder," and "The Rider's Boon")

• "When a Tree Fall...

Maybe you've never heard of Lineage W, a 2021 spin-off of NCsoft's long-running franchise. But after today's Battle Bards episode, you'll have heard it's sweet tunes! Join Syl and Syp as they explore this fantasy soundtrack to see how it stacks up against its amazing ancestors.

Episode 215 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Against Odds," "Moment of Peace," and "Woodbeck Village")

• "Main Theme"

• "Elven Forest Village"

• "Lone Wanderer"

  ...

You may never see them coming, but when the Battle Bards strike out of the shadows, you'll either find your pocket picked, your fluffy best friend kidnapped, or your life's blood stolen. After all, they learned from the best thieves and rogues in the world! And what kind of music would these robbers identify with? Find out on today's show!

Episode 214 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Rogue" from Blackwater, "The Holy Land of Assassins...

The END(walker) of Final Fantasy XIV came, went, and brought us some excellent music along the way! In this episode of the Battle Bards, Syl and Syp joust back and forth over the tunes from FFXIV's latest expansion. Is it an acquired taste or an instant hit? Let them be the judge!

Episode 213 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Opening Cinematic," "Welcome to Our Town," and "Black Steel, Cold Embers")

• "Vibrant Voices"

• "The Nautilus Kn...